Standardization versus Adaptation of the Marketing Mix Strategy in SME Exports

Abstract

The role of foreign sales in the operations of companies has long attracted interest, and there is an increasing interest in the strategies used by companies in their foreign marketing. One of the key focus areas has been the interest in the degree of standardization versus adaptation of various international marketing mix elements. During the past 40 years, there have been numerous studies focussing on the general question of whether to standardize or adapt in international marketing strategy (Ryans, Griffith, and White 2003). The more specific questions of what would be the antecedents for the degree of standardization against adaptation, and whether a standardized or an adapted international marketing strategy leads to better performance, have also attracted research. However, this research is still criticized for lacking a strong underlying theoretical framework (Ryans et al. 2003). Thus, earlier literature has not contributed a clear theoretical approach explaining the basis on which the various antecedents for the degree of standardization or adaptation are developed.